


Promises, Promises

by cheshireree (shyfoxes)



Category: Free!
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Rin is a dork, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 05:05:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5193323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/cheshireree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin’s promise comes in the form of a button, second from the top, and placed in a little plastic box.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises, Promises

Rin was being fidgety. That was the first tip off. Granted, Rin wasn’t bad at keeping secrets, but somehow when they involved Sousuke, he just became down right  _obvious_. After all that had been said and done between them, Sousuke was surprised that there was still tension between them, but it felt different. It wasn’t the lingering fears of Rin finding out about his shoulder and the pains he had gone through to finally reach the peace Rin, Ai, Momo, and hell, even Iwatobi, had given him. Now it was something that made Sousuke’s hands suddenly strangely sweaty. Rin was being fidgety and secretive and that in turn made Sousuke kind of riled up. He took to being a little more observant of Rin, and in turn Rin became even more hyper aware of him.

It continued like this for a good solid two weeks. They ran through their usual day, did their usual thing; eating, studying, swim club, handshakes, and wishing each other goodnight. But now Sousuke and Rin seemed to gravitate towards each other even more, if that were even possible. Hands began to linger, and staring became a little too long,  _intimate_  even if Sousuke would brave to use that word.

On the Saturday of the second week, Sousuke noticed that Rin’s school polo was missing a button. He thought to bring it up the first time he noticed it, but Rin had distracted him with a problem in their math book. Sousuke didn’t deem it all that necessary since it wasn’t as if Rin would be needing the Samezuka school uniforms for much longer anyway.

To Sousuke’s equal delight and strange suspicion, Rin was also talking more to Gou. But for whatever reason, he wouldn’t do it with Sousuke around anymore. Once he had perked up when Rin had been talking to her and pushed his way into Rin’s space to steal a hello. Rin had staggered away with a strange strangled sound and glared at him. (It was hardly effective with his face so red and Gou laughing on the other end of the line). Sousuke could only raise a brow and flop down on Rin’s bed in retaliation.

Still, Sousuke didn’t seem to ever be able to stop the impulse, much less the thought, of holding Rin’s hand when their knuckles brushed as they walked from his mind. He groaned into Rin’s pillow and cursed himself for “becoming a romantic by association”.

In the end, everything came to a head on the third week on Friday night. Sousuke and Rin would head home each for the weekend. Rin’s mother’s birthday was the Saturday, and Sousuke’s parents had guilt-tripped him into visiting.

Rin’s hand came gentle and light on Sousuke’s sleeve when they came off of the train to Sano. He hesitated a moment as he glanced up at Sousuke from under his lashes. Sousuke felt like his cheeks were suddenly burning.

“Put out your palm, Sou,” Rin said.

Sousuke raised a quizzical eyebrow but did as he was told. Rin dropped a tiny plastic box into his palm and folded his big fingers to cradle the box to his palm with his own hand. Rin let his hand linger. Sousuke wished Rin’s hand wouldn’t ever leave his. Rin looked up at him again.

“Don’t open that until you get home, got it?” Rin said, trying to look testy. “Then text me after.”

“Why can’t I just open it now?” Sousuke said, pouting. Rin rolled his eyes.

“Because I said so!” He said, already turning to head down the way to his own home. “Not a moment before! I mean it!”

Sousuke waved him off, shoving the box into his pants pocket as he bid Rin goodbye.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Safe trip home, Rin,” Sousuke said.

“Remember to text me!” Rin called. “And don’t get lost going home!”

“I won’t!” Sousuke called, fading into a huffy grumble.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and started for home. He fingered the box all the way home, only just resisting the urge to flick it open and see what was so secretive. His hand still tingled from where Rin had held his. The air was cool, a welcome refrain from the heat of summer. He took his time going home, replaying Rin’s shy expression in his mind. By the time he reached home he was sure his face was red. As he toed off his shoes his mother came around the corner and pulled him down for an exaggerated kiss.

“Oh, Sou-kun,” His mother gushed, knowing how much it made him embarrassed. “Are you blushing? Too big for your mother’s kisses, are you?”

 _‘No’,_ He wanted to say but didn’t, pretending to wipe her kiss away. His mother  tutted him and peeked around the corner to his father. She pouted about her son being a big, stoic baby.

“I don’t know where he even gets it!” She said.

Sousuke groaned and slid past her to run to the haven of his room. He caught eyes with his father who promptly burst into laughter because he had smeared his mother’s lipstick all over his cheek. Sousuke hurried faster.

Sousuke shed his hoodie and flopped down on his bed with a relieved sigh. He lay there for a moment before he finally pulled out the box and opened it. Inside was a black button, delicately placed on a wad of cotton, with the words, “I Promise I’ll Wait For You” on the inside of the cover in Rin’s handwriting. Sousuke had to stare at it a while before it dawned on him. Rin’s school polo had suspiciously been missing a button, lately…

A button second from the top, Sousuke imagined. He warmed it in his palm and pressed it to his heart, laughing despite himself.

He texted Rin.

Sousuke:  ** _< <Only you would do something so utterly romantic>>_**

Rin:  ** _< <Are you complaining?>>_**

Sousuke:  ** _< <Would never dream of it>>_**

Sousuke:  ** _< <I accept your ‘promise’ by the way>>_**

A day later, Rin received a little pink teddy bear in his mailbox. Around its neck hung a string of yarn, a button meticulously attached, and a little card saying, “I’ll Follow You Soon”.

**Author's Note:**

> edit: I finally got around to editing it from school jacket (since it zips, no buttons) to their uniform polos instead. The black with pink ones.)
> 
> Find the original here on tumblr! ->http://cheshire-ree.tumblr.com/post/132901834303/rins-promise-comes-in-the-form-of-a-button
> 
> I just had the urge because I saw some fanart of a different pairing with it and then suddenly it popped in my head. I also headcanon that Sousuke had really doting and loving parents, he’s just very grown up for his age, has always been, but they love to fluster him because he’s such a cute boy. Also, let it be known that Sousuke got kisses every morning from his mother on his way to school...like Jotaro.
> 
> **Boys give away second buttons to girls they like since its closest to the heart.
> 
> Its short and suuuuuper cheesy. But tell me what you think anyway?
> 
> Inbox is always open~


End file.
